Corporate Congress

Geoffrey Norman

January 9, 2013 11:29 AM

Bloomberg reveals that when it comes to political contributions, corporations know no party but are, astonishingly, looking out for their own interests.

For instance, GE's “PAC made five separate $1,000 donations to Republican Chip Cravaack during the Minnesotan’s first term in Congress. Two weeks after Cravaack lost, GE’s PAC gave $1,000 to Rick Nolan, the Democrat who defeated him.”

For readers who are mystified by this behavior, Bloomberg has located an expert to clarify things.

“Corporations tend to be very pragmatic in their political giving,” said Viveca Novak, editorial and communications director at the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington- based research group that tracks campaign donations. “They were giving to somebody who was in power and now they’re again giving to the new occupant of that seat. They’re not going to be helped by the loser.”

Marx was supposed to have said something about how when the last capitalist is hanged, he will sell his executioners the rope. We seem to have advanced to the point where he will now loan the money to finance this purchase.

Approval ratings for the 112th Congress dipped below 10 percent last year, meaning the institution was about as popular with the public as switching to a Communist regime, according to Gallup and Rasmussen polling data.